Fever On The Mountain
by NCISBALTOFAN
Summary: Tony, Gibbs, Palmer, and McGee are sent on a vacation by orders of Director Vance to a cabin in the mountains on the outskirts of West VA. But, as time marches on and Tony starts seeing and hearing weird things he becomes a little...too attached to the mountain...
1. Chapter 1

**This fic was inspired by my mountain trip, I know Awake On My Airplane is not done but I'm working on both**

Chapter 1

It was Vance that had proposed that Team Gibbs take a relaxing mountain trip on the outskirts of West Virginia. He knew they needed a break from the animosity of Washington DC and just to get away from everything. Amazingly Gibbs couldn't agree more.

The girls decided to go to the beach instead which was approved by Vance and the boys all except for Ducky decided to go to the mountains. Vance reserved one of the company cabins up in the boondocks for everyone. There was hiking trails, a fishing pond, swimming in the lakes nearby and many other things and elements of nature that Vance had mentioned.

Before you could even say "vacation" Gibbs, Tony, McGee, and Palmer were on their way to the mountains and were about thirty minutes away from their destination. The rolling green hills and streams made Tony almost want to stay there forever.

"How much longer boss," Tony asked. "I want to smell this mountain air!"

"Thirty minutes," Gibbs smirked. "Then you can inhale as much as you'd like."

"I can't wait to see everything," Palmer mused. "It'll be so beautiful."

"I hope to get inspiration for my next book." McGee smiled.

"Of course McAuthor," Tony joked. "You WOULD bring work along!"

"Hey," McGee laughed. "At least it's fun work…I mean not that NCIS isn't fun...I mean…"

"You're digging yourself deeper and deeper McNervous." Tony laughed harder and cranked the air vent near him.

The road thinned until it was just a one lane road and the car tooled up the mountainside until the group reached a beautiful wooden cabin. Gibbs drove over a wooden plank makeshift bridge over a stream and through a rock driveway to park.

The group stepped out of the car, sniffed the air and stretched.

"Hot damn," Tony smiled big. "It's even more beautiful than Vance described."

"Yes," Palmer replied. "It IS quite pretty up here, I remember spending time up here as a child a lot."

"Welcome back to your roots," Gibbs smirked and opened the trunk. "Now the fun begins…unpacking!"

Gibbs thrust his bag over his shoulder and walked away to the cabin, he grabbed the key that Vance had given him out of his pocket and unlocked the door. Tony, McGee, and Palmer grabbed their bags and followed him.

The walls were covered in dark wood, the kitchen was narrow, there were deer heads mounted on the walls in the living room, and there were cobwebs everywhere. Yep…it was definitely a cabin!

Gibbs called the couch, so McGee was given one room and Palmer and Tony the other one. Tony plopped his stuff down on the pullout couch on the downstairs and looked around.

"It seems chillier down here," Tony stated. "Weird…"

"I heard this was the root cellar," Palmer replied. "It was converted into a bedroom…"

"Did Vance give you a handbook to this house or something?" Tony laughed.

"No," Palmer said. "He told me all about it though…he also told me some rather…interesting things about it and the woods around it."

"What kinds of things?" Tony asked.

"There was an agent once, Agent Robert Donavan, he went up here once with his partner, a female agent named Leslie Burke, Robert loved the mountains and the cabin, but he started acting…weird…he started becoming way too attached to being outside in the woods, he told Leslie of the people he'd see and talk to even though there's a rare chance of seeing another person up here…at least up in those woods, Vance thought Robert was just going nuts not that the woods had anything to do with it, but whatever."

"So Robert," Tony asked. "Fell in love with the woods but…he didn't want to leave?"

"Exactly," Palmer explained. "He claimed that the people told him not to leave…"

Tony was skeptical of everything Palmer was saying at that moment, but he had to wonder. Could Palmer be right?

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Gibbs had grilled some chicken he found in the fridge and opened a couple of cans of beans for dinner. The water up in the mountains tasted different than any other water the agents were used to, but they decided they'd adjust.

Gibbs was currently lying on the couch flipping through the pages of one of the many books there at the cabin, Palmer was flipping through the few channels there were on the TV and McGee was typing something on his computer.

"I'm going to go check out the lake nearby," Tony stated. "Ok?"

"Alright," Gibbs said. "Just don't drown DiNozzo."

"Wasn't planning on it boss." Tony chuckled and left on his way.

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Tony walked along the dirt road to the lake. There were many cabins lining the side of the road, but Tony knew that no one was in any of them…at least he thought no one was there, he assumed they were all company cabins of NCIS.

The trees swayed in the calming breeze, the leaves fell in the Tony's path then quickly scurried away, the stream gurgled and moved alongside Tony. He could understand why Robert fell in love with this place.

He walked up to the dam on the lake and onto the concrete that separated the water and the deep, long way down, ditch where the fresh water poured out. He stood in silence.

"Well," said a voice behind him. "I never thought I'd see a new face around here for quite some time."

Tony turned around to meet the eyes and smile of a middle aged man of probably about his age, the man wore a heavy brown hunting jacket, beat up jeans, boots, and a green cap, he was carrying a hunting rifle.

"Shouldn't you be up in the woods hunting," Tony asked. "No deer down here?"

"I come here to take a break," the hunter sat down next to Tony. "Name's Jim, Jim Henderson."

"Tony DiNozzo," Tony shook his hand and sat down too. "Here on vacation?"

"Nah," Jim replied. "I live here…not by choice but…I do."

Tony was sort of leery about he was saying.

"You know it's just you get so mesmerized by the mountains and the silence and the scenery, there's something magical about it," Jim said. "It's not for everyone though…some men have been known to er…go a little crazy per say?"

"Cabin fever," Tony chuckled. "I've had that before…"

"I don't think we are on the same page Mr. DiNozzo," Jim gave him a serious type look. "Anyways…just watch yourself…these particular mountains can be a little too…inviting…"

Jim then stood up and turned away from Tony, walking down the concrete to the dirt road before staring back at Tony.

"Don't forget what I told you." Jim said and then walked down the road and out of sight.

**Read and Review**

**This will hopefully be something different that I've never done before or really anyone else so I hope you all enjoy! This story is planned out so it'll run smoother than my other ones.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry guys, I've had a lot going on…I was randomly sick for one day even though I was supposed to be for three and I magically got better (not liking my mom's theory but oh well…). Here's the second chapter of Fever on the Mountain**

Chapter 2

Tony awoke the next morning with a feeling of almost dread to be in the cabin. He wanted to be outside for some unknown reason. Normally Tony was an indoors person, he liked the safety and security of a house, or cabin in this case, he didn't know why he had this sudden urge to be outdoors.

"Hey boss," Tony said to Gibbs as he noticed his boss eating at the table. "I'm gonna go hiking today if you don't mind?"

"Alone," Gibbs asked. "Are you sure DiNozzo, you don't know these hills?"

"I saw the hiking path boss," Tony smiled. "I'll be fine."

NCIS – NCIS – NCIS – NCIS – NCIS – NCIS – NCIS

Tony set out right after that with a backpack full of rations and his best walking stick. He grabbed his camera from his bag and strung it around his neck before walking up the old fire truck trail that had been left behind from when the fire trucks had to come up for forest fires. His walking stick provided much needed support from the slippery leaves that had covered the ground…it had rained recently.

He made it up the mountainside with a few scares on slipping; there were so many centipedes and lizards up where he was hiking that he had to watch his footing before taking each step. He looked down to see a lizard just now that was bright orange.

"I bet you've never been touched by human hands little guy." Tony said to the lizard and smiled as he kept making his way up the mountain until he reached the summit. He admired the view that surrounded him. The lush, gorgeous trees that stretched far beyond the horizon, the rocks that he stood next to, giant and covered in lichen, and the sun that was still rising ever so slightly into the middle of the sky. Tony couldn't think of a more beautiful place to be right now.

He took a step forward but suddenly felt his weight caving underneath him, he fell to the ground in a heap, he heard a crack on the back of his head as it hit the rock behind him.

All was black…

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When Tony finally came to he didn't know how many hours it had been, he knew one thing though, and Gibbs would probably be worried. He tried to sit up, but when he did he noticed a woman standing in front of him.

"Hello maam," Tony said groggily. "What are you doing here?"

The woman didn't answer; instead she only stared at Tony. The woman had jet black hair that went down her back; she wore a Victorian looking dress and no shoes. She had crystal blue eyes. She placed a finger to her lips and smirked at Tony.

"Sssshh." She said and then started to run down the mountain.

"Wait," Tony yelled and stood up carefully. "Where are you going?!"

Tony looked all around himself for the girl, but he found no trace of anyone.

"I must be dreaming…." Tony's breath was taken away.

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When a shell shocked Tony came back to the cabin he found Gibbs outside gathering firewood. He looked over at his boss only once before anyone spoke.

"Been gone a long time DiNozzo," Gibbs stated. "You alright?"

"Yeah boss," Tony replied. "I uh slipped and hit my head, conked out for a while but I'm fine otherwise…"

"Get some rest DiNozzo," Gibbs said. "I'll be outside gathering wood for the bonfire I plan on having tonight with the other two, their inside as well, tell them what happened so they can get you some ice."

"Sure thing boss," Tony gulped; he didn't quite know how to explain what he had seen. "I'll tell them what…happened…"

Gibbs gave Tony a skeptical look before returning to his work. He hoped that Tony was ok, but didn't want to baby the man, he just hoped the mountain air was going to be good for him.

Tony walked into the cabin without even a glance at a concerned Palmer and McGee who had heard the conversation that had been going on outside.

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The cool mountain air at night hit Tony's neck like an axe as he sat around the bonfire with Palmer, McGee and Gibbs. He shivered once as it crept through the neck of his sweatshirt and down his back.

"You ok from your spill DiNozzo," Gibbs asked. "You seem off?"

"M'fine boss," Tony lied. "Just fine…"

Tony couldn't shake off what he had seen in the woods that day. That girl…where had she come from and who was she? Tony's thoughts were distracted by the moon lingering on the edge of the mountain. Suddenly though as he watched it rise behind the mountain, he saw something else…

Little balls of light that were floating down the mountainside, all of different colors too. Some were red, some blue, some green, some…clear, one was even pink.

"Tony," McGee asked. "Tony!"

"Y-yeah…" Tony replied.

"You spaced out," Palmer stated. "You sure you're alright?"

"Yeah," Tony said. "Hey did anyone else see any balls of light coming down that mountain?"

"Balls of light," Palmer asked. "No I didn't…Tony I think you need more sleep…"

"Yeah," Tony stared back at the mountain and the balls of light were gone. "I guess I do…"

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**So why's Tony seeing all these things and no one else is?**

**Is he insane?**

**OR is there really something going on here?**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Tony had awoken before anyone, his eyes darted around the area surrounding the cabin and he breathed in. A smile spread across his face. The mountain air seemed to linger with something he couldn't quite explain; it was a mixture of freshness and something almost magic. He craved it, which was why he was walking again today.

He picked up his pace as the road thinned. His walking stick making deep contact with mother earth every step he took along with his new hiking boots. Birds chirped around him and crunched around in the woods. He closed his eyes and took it all in.

He heard the babbling of a brook and opened his eyes, finding himself in front of a river. He smiled and went to take a step onto the first stone.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you mister." A voice behind him said.

Tony spun around quickly, but carefully and met the face of a young boy. The boy was probably about thirteen years old. He wore ragged overalls over some old shorts and carried a small B-B gun, with him was a completely white Labrador retriever who barked happily at Tony.

"Why not," Tony asked. "It looks stable?"

"Exactly," the boy said. "It LOOKS stable but then when you fall in it's impossible to get out, that river is pretty deep, trust me I've fallen in before."

Tony tried not to stare at the boy, but something about him seemed off. He seemed uneasy. Tony looked down only once to see his own reflection before he heard a rather large splash. He looked over to see the boy, screaming and kicking in the water.

"Help!" the boy cried out.

The white dog barked on the shore at the drowning boy who seemed almost willing to drown in his predicament. Tony, without thinking dived into the water and went after the drowning boy. When Tony got underneath the water it was murky, but somehow he made himself see. He looked around to see the boy floating lifelessly to the bottom of the river, Tony swam down further and extended his arm to reach out to the boy, but suddenly before Tony's eyes the boy disappeared into the murk below without a trace that he had even been there in the first place.

Tony gasped underwater, which he regretted two seconds later. Tony swam up to the surface and breathed in clean air. He treaded water over to the shore and took in all he had just seen. The boy had been real enough when Tony saw him. He looked over to see the white dog pacing the shoreline and whining then suddenly the dog almost…glared at Tony then barked and disappeared too before Tony's eyes

Tony shook his head and with wide eyes he pulled himself up from the ground and ran off towards the cabin.

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Gibbs was out front with McGee and Palmer. Gibbs was cleaning the company car while McGee read and Palmer was eating a sandwich. Tony ran up in frenzy.

"Boss!" Tony yelled.

"DiNozzo what the hell," Gibbs exclaimed. "Now what's wrong, and why are you soaking wet?!"

"B-boss there was this boy," Tony explained with a lack of breath. "And his dog, the boy told me not to cross the river because I'd fall in and drown like he had once, and then next thing I know the boy's in the water and drowning, I jumped in to save him and then he disappeared so I swam back up and then his dog disappeared before my eyes!"

"Get some dry clothes on DiNozzo," Gibbs sighed. "And take a nap or something, or get some food I think you're deprived of something vital."

"Boss," Tony said. "I'm not crazy….I know what I saw!"

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